


I've Heard That Song Before

by hips_of_steel



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: F/M, Historical, Human AU, Probably somewhat historically inaccurate, World War II
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-23
Updated: 2014-10-19
Packaged: 2018-02-21 19:16:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 4,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2479463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hips_of_steel/pseuds/hips_of_steel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Right before the invasion known as D-Day, Arthur Kirkland hosts an officer's ball. Amelia Jones, a nurse in the Women's Army Corps, soon finds herself dancing in the arms of Sergeant Ivan Braginsky, and he promises to meet up with her again.</p><p>Historical angst, but it has a happy ending.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. June 1st, 1944

_June 1st, 1944_

_Arthur’s holding an officer’s ball of some sort. We all know there’s going to be an attack soon, though when and where is the information they’ve been keeping secret._

_Matthew sighed up as part of the Paratroops today. I swear my cousin’s trying to make me worry myself to death._

_There are supposed to be representatives from each Ally nation present. Francis is here for the French Resistance. I pray I can keep him and Arthur apart from each other._

_I heard our friend from the Chinese is named Wang Yao. I haven’t met him before, but I have heard many good things about him._

_The Russian representative is a bit of a mystery, I heard. I haven’t been able to even get a name out of anyone, even._

_Oh, well, Matthew’s outside the door now, knocking. Guess I’d better get going._

_Signing off for today,_

_Amelia Jones_

Amelia looked around the ballroom. Officers stood everywhere, chatting and trying to enjoy the evening. She and a good portion of the other nurses from the Women’s Army Corps smiled and danced with the men.

The mood of the event allowed her to know that they would be shipping out in the next few days. She sighed, not liking the fact that she wouldn’t know when Matthew left for his mission. But at least she’d be able to be nursing the sick men once the coastline was secured.

Most of the officers here were Canadian, American, or British. There were a few messengers from the French Resistance, who, thanks to their help in coordinating the attack, were practically officers in their own rights.

She was walking through the crowd when she felt someone tap her on the shoulder. She turned, and found herself having to look up, which she didn’t often have to do. There was a tall, silver haired man with violet eyes. His military uniform was Russian, so then she knew.

_Ah. This is the Russian Representative._

“Hello!” She said, smiling at him.

In a heavy accent, he replied. “Hello. Are you Amelia?”

“Yes.”

“Major Kirkland would like to speak with you.”

She turned and spotted Arthur arguing with Francis. When she finally made eye contact with him, she knew what he needed from the look in his eyes.

“Pardon me. I must go rescue him from a Frenchman.”

The Russian chuckled softly, and Amelia crossed the room.

She managed to slip in between the two, and asked Francis for a dance. He accepted, and then she glided across the floor with him, eventually depositing him into another nurse’s arms.

Once that deed was done, she looked around, and spotted Matthew dancing with a girl. Amelia smiled.

Alone, she didn’t even have to give it a second thought. Those violet eyes had made her curious, and now she wanted to go and find the Russian.

She finally spotted him as she was getting a glass of punch.

She approached him, and he spotted her coming towards him.

She counted the stripes on his arm, and then spoke. “So sergeant, you know my name, but what’s yours?”

“Ivan.”

“Well, Ivan, would you like to dance?”

He smiled. “I thought you’d never ask.”

They danced the night away, barely separating from each other. No one understood it. What did the All-American girl see the in towering, silent Russian?

But no one said anything.

As it got down to the last few songs, Ivan smiled. “One more dance, than let’s go outside, da?”

“Yeah.”

The song that came on was one that Amelia knew well, and the words held her in place, her hands in Ivan’s, and her head almost resting on his chest.

_It seems to me I've heard that song before_

_It's from an old familiar score_

_I know it well, that melody_

_It's funny how a theme recalls a favorite dream_

_A dream that brought you so close to me_

_I know each word because I've heard that song before_

__

_The lyrics said "Forever more"_

_Forever more's a memory_

_Please have them play it again_

_And I'll remember just when_

_I heard that lovely song before_

__

Then she felt Ivan guide her outside.

He held a cigarette, and offered her a light when she pulled out her own. They inhaled, enjoying the quiet.

But the night was nearing an end, and they both knew that soon enough, people would come looking for them.

“If I am able to meet up with you one last time, would you want me too?” He finally asked.

“Yes.”

He smiled, and leaned over to kiss her. It surprised her, but also made her feel incredibly happy.

Then the door swung open, and a young boy called out. “Sergeant Braginsky?”

Ivan sighed, and their lips parted. “I will see you again soon, my sunflower.”

“Goodbye, Ivan.”

 


	2. June 3rd, 1944

_June 3rd, 1944_

_He came._

_He actually came._

Amelia followed him out into the night. He’d managed to send her a note ahead of time, and so she’d waited for him outside.

They both knew what they wanted.

He’d paid for the hotel, and in the room, they were all alone.

He kissed her with a passion she’d never felt before. She ran her hands through his hair, and when his mouth left her lips to travel a little lower, she let out a noise that was anything but ladylike.

Slowly they undressed each other, enjoying the chance to marvel at the beauty of the other.

She saw scars on his back, and traced over them lightly. He groaned softly, and then turned, taking her breasts in his hands, kissing and sucking, and making her moan as well.

Then he pressed her down into the bed, and they made love to each other.

In the morning, they didn’t wish to part, but they both knew that people would come looking for them soon enough.

He took his time to get dressed, and then brought Amelia breakfast. She smiled, and then they made love quickly one last time.

And with that, and a last whisper of “My sunflower,” Ivan headed back to the base, and Amelia to the Women’s Corps camp.

They didn’t know if they’d ever get to see each other again, but they prayed they would.

Amelia had slipped her address into Ivan’s notebook, as well as a photo, in case he was sincere about coming to America to find her after it was all over.

On June 5th, at around four in the afternoon, she said one last goodbye to Matthew, hugging him tightly.

“Come back, cousin, okay?”

“Alright, Amelia. I’ll do my best.”

She watched the planes take off that night, and prayed for the best. Matthew, Francis, and Yao were all on board those planes. As the ships set off, she waved to them and prayed for them as well.

Arthur and Ivan were both part of the ground forces, and they all knew slaughter was inevitable.

 


	3. June 17th, 1944

_June 17th, 1944_

_I keep checking the lists of survivors during my breaks, and comparing them against the lists of the dead._

_Matthew’s okay, as is Arthur. Francis is injured, but it’s only a minor thing. Yao got it a lot worse. He’s probably getting sent back to England._

_No sign of Ivan._

Amelia had spent days among the sick and the wounded, and all she wanted to do was weep.

She got an hour break that day, and she went and added names to the list, sorting them by nationality, rank, and alphabetical order.

Once that was done, she went and found Yao.

She’d gotten a brief chance to talk to him at the Officer’s ball, and the rumors were true. He was a very nice man. So far from home, she knew that not a lot of people talked to him, so she spent most of her breaks with him.

Francis was sitting there, reading a book to Yao, who rolled his eyes at some parts, and outright laughed at others.

She sighed. She’d miss this. Matthew and Arthur were already gone, and Francis would be leaving soon enough, as Arthur’s contact man in the Resistance.

After her time was up, she headed back in for her shift.

Francis tapped her on the shoulder. “Still no word on the one you’ve been looking for?”

She nodded.

“It’s the Russian, no?”

“How do you always know?”

“It’s written all over your face, mon ami.”

Amelia nodded. “Yeah. I’m hoping I’ll see his name, just so I know what happened to him.”

“If I see anything, or hear anything, I will try to send you a message.”

“Thank you Francis.”

He nodded. “Try to get some sleep tonight, mon cheri.”

“I’m not your sweetheart.”

Francis just smiled.

 


	4. August 20th, 1944

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the really short chapter, but I want each day recorded in the journal to be its own entry, so there's gonna be a few more chapters that are just as short.

_August 20th, 1944_

_I’m in trouble. Huge trouble. And not the ‘in trouble with your commander’ type of trouble. No, that would be too easy._

Looking at the calendar had made her realize the date as she woke up, ready for another shift in the hospital.

She checked her diary. She kept little notes on when her cycle began and ended, trying to keep track.

She looked back further and further, and then nearly swore.

The last time she’d cycled had been mid to late May.

This couldn’t be happening. Oh, she was in such deep trouble.

She didn’t know what to do.

 


	5. August 30th, 1944

_August 30th, 1944_

_Matthew came here today. Minor wound. I told him about the situation._

_He says he can help._

Matthew watched his cousin pace nervously.

She’d just told him the secret that he could see was weighing on her back.

“You need to get out of combat if it’s true.”

“Matt, I’m sorry to tell you this, but…”

“No, don’t worry. It’s better you tell me than Arthur.”

Amelia laughed through the almost sob in her voice. “I suppose you’re right.” She said weakly.

Matthew stood up. “Um, I suppose this is an awkward, but yet strangely appropriate time to mention that there’s a guy in my unit who’s madly in love with you.”

“Lewis?”

“Yeah. How’d you know?”

“He’s been making googly eyes at me during the few times I’ve seen him in the hospital.”

“Uh, do you want me to tell him about the situation? He’s a good guy. Treats people right, and he’s really nice.”

“You think he’d be able to forgive me?”

“Yeah.”

Amelia paused. Over two months, there hadn’t been a sign.

Ivan had died in the attack.

“Please tell him then.”                     

 


	6. September 15th, 1944

_September 15th, 1944_

_I’m married now. Mrs. Lewis Baudin._

_He’s a sweetheart. I think I’ll grow to love him._

_Matthew keeps teasing him by calling him ‘cousin’. He’s got a nice laugh._

_He’s said he’ll cover for me too, though he didn’t have to.  He’ll say the baby’s his._

_He only lives a few towns over from Matthew. So I’ll be moving to Canada, but I won’t be far from family._

_I’m sorry Ivan._

“Jones- I mean, Baudin.”

Amelia turned, seeing her husband standing next to the superintendent.

She walked over, and he beckoned them into his office.

“Your husband told me about your… ‘situation’. In a case like this, since the incident happened before our arrival in Normandy, there will be no black mark on his record. You, however, are on the next ship back to England.”

Amelia looked at Lewis, and he nodded. She turned back to the superintendent, head held low. “Yes sir.”

“Finish your shift, and then report back here to me.”

“Yes sir.”

They left the room, and then she turned to Lewis. “You told him you were the father?”

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

“Because you were in love. It’s not you fault he wasn’t able to come back for you.”

They were silent for a moment.

“Um, you should know you’re my hero of the month… no, year now.”

Lewis smiled. “That’s good to know.”

She finished her shift, and then was told that she was leaving in three days. She nodded, and went back to the dorms.

The other girls wanted to know why she was headed home, so she blushed and told them, and her acting was perfect, apparently, because they believed her, and gave her the best of wishes.

Three days later, she kissed Lewis on the lips for the first time since their wedding. He smiled softly. “I’ll try to be home as soon as I can.” He whispered.

“You can do it, hero.”

 


	7. December 25th, 1944

_December 25th, 1944_

_I sent Lewis a present. Since I don’t know when he’s going to get it, I’ll imagine him opening it in today’s entry._

_He gets the package. It’s small, and he wonders what’s inside._

_After Matthew teases him a little about his wife, he opens it._

_Inside is a few creature comforts, such as his favorite brand of cigarettes, chocolate, and a personal note from me._

_But underneath all that is a nice new warm scarf, made in the same brown and green colors as his uniform._

_I hope it’ll make him smile._

It’s the middle of January when the Christmas packages arrive on the front lines.

Matthew opens the letters from home, and laughs at the notes Amelia’s sent him, with drawings of random things she’s seen in England that she finds really weird.

Lewis sits a few feet away, holding the box close.

“Jesus, you’ve got to open it eventually, Lew.” He finally says.

Lewis opens it up, and laughs. “Wow. Out on the front lines, not even an American’s guaranteed his chocolate ration.

Matthew leans over and sees that Amelia’s put four chocolate bars in the package.

“Unfair…”

“Oh, one says ‘This one’s for Matthew because I save on postage by only sending the one package.’”

“Gee, thanks cos.”

“Well, she must have spent a fortune to get this much chocolate. And good cigarettes. I mean, wow.”

Matthew shrugs. “You get food and smokes, I get comic books on the oddities of England.”

Lewis has fallen silent.

“What?”

He pulls out the long scarf, and then unbuttons his coat, wrapping it around his neck.

“Looks warm.”

“It is.”

Then Lewis reads the note.

“It’s been decided. Kid’s name will either be Alexander Lewis or Anna Victory.”

“Good names.”

“Yeah. Good names.”

They sit in silence, in the relative warmth of their fighting hole, somewhere in either France or Belgium. They’ve lost track.

But today’s a good day.


	8. March 9th, 1945

_March 9th, 1945_

_I gave birth on the seventh, and can you imagine my surprise when they told me I’d had twins?_

_Alex and Anna are as healthy as can be. Alex has eyes that are close to violet right now, and has yellow hair like me. Anna’s got my blue eyes, and hair a color that rivals her father._

_Lewis will be so thrilled._

_I love him. I do. We’ve gotten to know one another very well with our letters._

_But that doesn’t mean I don’t miss Ivan occasionally._

_I hope that he’s in heaven, smiling down on his children._

It was April when the news arrived, along with a photo.

Matthew wouldn’t have know, except for the fact that suddenly, from the downstairs half of the ruined house they were staying in, he heard a happy holler of surprise.

“Jesus Fucking H. Christ, what the hell’s going on down there?” He shouted.

Lewis was grinning like a fool, holding a photo. “Look! Look Matthew!”

Matthew came downstairs and looked.

Two babies were in the picture Lewis was holding.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Matthew said, but it was said in a happy way.

The rest of the men were gathering around now.

“A boy and a girl. Alexander Lewis and Anna Victory Baudin!”

They all clapped him on the back, congratulating the new father.

Matthew watched. Even though the kids weren’t his, Lewis was absolutely thrilled.

He whispered to himself as he headed back upstairs. “You did good, Amelia. You chose the right one."

 


	9. May 25th, 1945

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You're all going to hate me for this chapter. I accept that as a fact. Please forgive me for treating characters this way. I still promise it has a happy ending!

_May 25th, 1945_

_The twins are healthy, and doing well._

_Today I got a letter._

_I recognize what type of letter it is._

_I haven't been able to open it yet._

A few days before, Matthew had sat, staring at the body before him, barely believing.

Then it was like the whole world had come crashing down around his ears.

He hadn’t even been able to scream. It was too dangerous.

He covered him with a sheet, and then continued moving on, towards the rest of his unit. They needed him now.

In a small apartment in England, two babies sat, screaming to the sky.

Their mother finally rocked them back to sleep, and then she continued to stare at the letter.

Finally, she opened it.

_Mrs. Lewis Baudin,_

_We are sorry to inform you that your husband has been killed…_

That was as far as she got before she laid down on her bed and wept.

 


	10. Epilogue: 1945 to 1949

The war ended.

Matthew and everyone was fine,

VE Day was celebrated as well as it could be.

When VJ Day came, Amelia found herself meekly celebrating with everyone else.

She headed back home to the US when Matthew decided to go back.

“Hey, if you want to go see them, this is Lew’s parents home address. I bet they’d love to meet you.”

She paused. The ship was going to stop in New York, her planned stop, and then go on to Canada.

“I think I might.”

Jason and Anne Baudin met their daughter in law with smiles.

They loved their grandchildren right away. Amelia didn’t have the heart to tell them that they weren’t Lewis’s.

But she supposed her saving grace was that Lewis had been nearly as pale haired as Ivan, so they just assumed that Anna Victory took after her father Lewis.

She helped the family out wherever she could, and decided that this was where she wanted to live. The land felt right, somehow. They helped her build her own little house, and she worked where she could. A few men seemed interested in her, but she turned them down.

One day, when the twins were about four, she heard Alex’s voice from through the window.

“Momma, there’s a man here to see you.”

She shrugged. Probably Matthew, or Arthur. She’d heard rumors that he was pretty wealthy even during the war.

But when she stepped outside, the man at the end of the walk was neither of those individuals.

He stood tall, and she could see the difference.

She walked to the gate, and then slowly opened it.

He looked at her, years of sadness on his face.

“How…?” She asked, stunned.

His silver hair blew softly on the wind, and his violet eyes were the same ones she remembered.

“I was shot. I was back to England before they brought you out to Normandy. I earned money for a passage to the US, and then spent a while there earning money for the train north.”

His accent was fainter than it had been all those years ago, and his English seemed better overall.

She finally asked. “Would you like to come in?”

“Da.”

The twins stared at him. The only men they’d ever seen their mother let into the house before were Grandpa Jason and Uncle Matthew.

Ivan looked at them back, studying them as much as they were studying him.

“I have tea or coffee if you want a hot drink, or there’s lemonade in the fridge…”

Ivan turns back to her. “Just water. I don’t want to trouble you.”

She gets him a glass of water, and finds that he and the children are locked in a staring contest again.

“Alex, Anna, if you keep making that face, your faces will freeze.”

“But mom…”

“No if, ands, or buts, young man.”

Alex sighs, and then loudly states “I’m going outside to play with the puppy.”

Anna follows.

Once they’re absolutely certain that the children are gone, Ivan speaks. “Are they…”

“Yours. But don’t tell them that. I brought them up and told them that their father was the man I married.”

“You’re married?”

“Was married. He didn’t make it back from Europe. His parents are good people. They gave me this land that was meant to be his. I rent it out to other farmers to stay afloat.”

Ivan nods.

“Why didn’t you write me, or try to find me? I was in England for almost two years.”

“I was on the run. After the hospital discharged me, the motherland wanted me back. I went into hiding, until I was forgotten. Only then could I come to America. And then I find out you are no longer in America, but in Canada, and I had to earn money to come north and meet you again.”

She nods, and takes a sip at her own glass of water.

“The children… What are their names?”

“Alexander Lewis and Anna Victory. I let their father...I let Lewis name them.”

“It is alright to call him their father. I will not mind.”

“I… I wanted to marry you, but you were gone… I thought you’d died, Ivan. And Lewis… at first he was just a convenience, but he actually loved them, even though they weren’t his, and I loved him back for that. But then he got slaughtered in Germany…”

“You don’t need to say anymore, Sunflower.”

Amelia stood, and moved back into her itty-bitty kitchen, looking for something.

She finally found it. The photos of the children.

She returned to the table, and Ivan watched her lay them out.

He saw the first picture, of the week old infants, up to the last picture of the terrible two’s fourth birthday party.

Then when Amelia went to put the pictures back in the box, Ivan heard a familiar clink.

“May I look at them?”

Amelia pauses, and then hands him the dog tags.

_Lewis K. Baudin_

_Private, First Class_

_Protestant_

Ivan set them back in the box, and Amelia put the photos back, carefully replacing the lid on the box.

As the night settles down around them, Ivan stands. “I’ll head back to my hotel room.”

“How long are you going to stay?”

“As long as I can, unless you wish me to leave.”

“No. Just… please come back tomorrow afternoon.”

Amelia works part time as a maid during the mornings. A wealthy businessman lives here. She got the job because his son and Lewis had went to school together, and were the best of friends.

She’s a little higher up the food chain than some of the other girls, so she mainly just tells them the chores they have, and keeps the kitchen clean. Most of them seem to like her, and a few don’t even mind watching her kids upon occasion.

When she returns home with sore feet, her mother in law is fixing lunch for the kids.

“Do you want me to make you a sandwich as well?”

“Yes please, Anne. You’re a life saver.”

Once lunch is over, the kids go a few houses down the street to play with their friends, and Amelia and Anne are left alone.

“So the kids told me you had a man over here.”

“Yeah. Just someone I knew from before Normandy. He’s moved out west, and stopped by. He’s staying in town for a while.”

“So he’s the father, huh?”

Amelia lifted her head up, confused. “What?”

Anne sipped her tea. “Lewis wrote to us about you and the situation you were in. We knew the twins were never his. But he told us how much he loved you, and how much he was going to enjoy raising the kids, and we couldn’t help it. We fell in love with them too. So when you showed up, we were so surprised. We’d thought you were going to go home to America and never introduce yourself to us.”

“So, all these years, you’ve known?”

“Yes.”

Amelia rubbed her head. “I thought you didn’t, and I didn’t want to tell you otherwise.”

Anne shook her head. “No, we knew. But what we saw when you showed up was a beautiful woman who’d been through a lot, and we fell not only in love with Alex and Anna, but you as well.”

There’s a long silence.

“So, this young man you’re seeing, is he the father?”

“I’ve only seen him once since he got here, but yes, he is the father.”

“What’s he look like?”

“Silver hair, violet eyes. Very tall.”

The two women chat for a while longer, and then eventually, Anne leaves.

Less than fifteen minutes after her departure, Ivan arrives.

He holds a record. “Do you have a player?”

She nods, and he puts the record on to play.

She recognizes the song instantly.

“Do you remember that night?” He asks, taking her hand.

She nods, and then, standing in the middle of the living room, the pair begin to dance.

_It seems to me I've heard that song before_

_It's from an old familiar score_

_I know it well, that melody_

_It's funny how a theme recalls a favorite dream_

_A dream that brought you so close to me_

_I know each word because I've heard that song before_

__

_The lyrics said "Forever more"_

_Forever more's a memory_

_Please have them play it again_

_And I'll remember just when_

_I heard that lovely song before_

She leans in close, hearing Ivan’s heartbeat as she sets her head on his chest. She feels one of his arms wrapped around her back, keeping her close. Not in a possessive way, but one that seems to say _You can never understand how long I’ve waited for this_ and in truth, she can’t.

They dance again and again, until it’s time for him to go.

She follows him down to the end of the path. In the distance, she can see the shadows of the twins walking back from their friends.

“Ivan?”

“Da?”

She leans in and gives him a small kiss. “Please come back tomorrow.”

He smiles. “I will.”

They marry in October.

The harvest is over, and Amelia’s parents manage to make it to the wedding.

Upon Amelia’s request, her parents are left to believe that Lewis is the father of her children, though Amelia suspects they see that Ivan and Alex’s eyes are the same color.

The children are more unsure than Amelia is, and a few people seem surprised to find that the American is getting married to a Russian.

But eventually the children grow to love Ivan, and he smiles.

One day, Amelia will pull out the dog tags and tell them the truth, that Ivan is their true father, and that Lewis wasn’t.

But she’ll also tell them how Lewis loved them, and wanted to raise them. How Lewis lied for her, a girl he barely knew, and how they grew to love each other, although they didn’t have very much time together on this earth.

And when Amelia welcomes another little baby, a girl named Isabel Sonja, into the world, everyone rejoices.

The world somehow manages to keep on spinning.

And love always finds its way back.


End file.
